More than expected: For the first quarter of fiscal year 2019, the Louisiana Lottery Corporation transferred more than $40 million to the state treasury, down $3.3 million from the first quarter of 2018, but exceeding budgeted transfers by over $2 million, according to an announcement from the Louisiana Lottery Corporation. With first-quarter revenue of $116 million, the Lottery contributed nearly $41 million to the state treasury. By law, at least 35% of Lottery proceeds are transferred to the state treasury and dedicated for K-12 public education. Nearly 53.7% of sales funds prizes, and less than 6% is used to operate the Lottery.
Down the middle: Amazon is reportedly close to selecting the winner of its second-headquarters project, known as HQ2, The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports. Multiple news outlets are reporting Amazon is close to agreeing to split its HQ2 project among two cities: New York City and Arlington, Virginia. The two cities will reportedly receive an as-yet-unknown portion of the 50,000 employees and $5 billion investment Amazon promised to winners of the project. Former Secretary of Louisiana Economic Development Stephen Moret currently serves as the president and CEO at Virginia Economic Development Partnership and was a key part of securing the deal for Arlington. Read the full story.
Preemies: Louisiana and Mississippi are at the top of states when it comes to preterm births. A recent report from the March of Dimes gave Louisiana an F rating and the second-highest preterm birth rate in the country. Mississippi was the only state that ranked lower. Births that happen before 37 weeks of gestation are considered preterm. The report says that complications resulting from premature births are the largest contributor to death during the first year of life in the U.S. Read the full report.
